Succulents and More™

WHAT After being canceled last year because of COVID-19, the 2021 Inter-City Cactus and Succulent Show and Sale is a go. One of the largest events of its kind in the country, the Inter-City Show combines a juried exhibition of succulents entered by growers of all levels with a 3-day sale of plants and pottery. WHY The show is a unique opportunity to see impeccably grown cacti and other succulents from private collections. Many are innovatively staged, often in perfectly matched containers.  Just as exciting is the sale happening Friday through Sunday. Almost two dozen vendors will be selling a huge variety of plants as well as pottery and accessories. A few of the plant vendors are nurseries, but most are specialty growers without a retail outlet. Cactus and succulent shows are pretty much the only way to buy their plants. WHO Here is a list of all the vendors: Botanic Wonders  (Al Klein) Arnold Chaney California Cactus Center Desert Creations Duke Benadom Grow Nursery Jim Hanna John M

Did you know that today, July 23, is National Agave Day?  Yes, today is the first-ever National Agave Day, following the official proclamation by writer Loree Bohl on her agave-licious blog,  the danger garden . As Loree says: By the power vested in me, as the originator of the #agavesaremyfavorite hashtag and lover of all things agave I hereby declare July 23rd to be National Agave Day! Wherein all agaves everywhere will be celebrated. Every year on July 23rd there will be parades, purchasing of agaves and planting parties dedicated to the love of this most fabulous spiky plant. Celebrate #nationalagaveday!!!  As a card-carrying agave aficionado, I second her declaration with great gusto and enthusiasm. Let's embrace #nationalagaveday and raise a toast to the queen of succulents, the majestic agave! If you drink alcohol, an agave-based adult beverage involving tequila ,  mescal , or raicilla is a no-brainer, but if you don't, there are plenty of delectable non-alcoholic alte

No visit would to Arizona would be complete without checking in with Jeff Moore, one of my PFFs (plant friends forever) in Tucson. Jeff is a seriously cool guy with a wicked sense of humor. He operates  Arid Adaptations Nursery  out of his 3-acre property northwest of town and can literally propagate and grow anything. He started Arid Adaptations in 2012 after a 10-year stint at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum  and now has over 200,000 (!) plants in multiple greenhouses and outside growing areas: everything from cacti and succulents to caudiciforms and hard-to-classify oddities. Jeff's your guy if you're in search of something special. The plant list on his website  gives you a good idea of what he has. Whenever I mention Jeff Moore to people here in California, they invariably think of Jeff Moore in San Diego County, owner of Solana Succulents  and writer of four (soon to be five ) beautifully produced books on succulents . San Diego Jeff is a great guy, too, but he's mos